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Ohio Judges Step Away From Case Against Franklin County Official
By: Associated Press
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — All of the common pleas judges in central Ohio’s largest county have stepped away from hearing the case against that county’s elections director.
Franklin County’s elections board Director William Anthony Jr. has been suspended with pay after he was indicted on charges of theft and tampering with evidence.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that all 17 judges in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court have recused themselves and have asked the state Supreme Court to appoint a visiting judge.
An indictment accuses Anthony of knowingly approving inaccurate timesheets for a fiscal officer who was paid for time she didn’t work.
Anthony, a Democrat, has called the indictment “bogus,” suggesting it was a political ploy by the state’s Republican auditor who investigated.
An auditor’s spokesman says it’s not about politics.
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